Bottle capping mechanism



Jan. 19, 1937. R J, DANlELs BOTTLE CAPPING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Dec. 7, 1934 1720 jazz/m Maw Jan. 19, 1937. R J DANlELs 2,068,165

BOTTLE CAPPING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1934 fzgmfif imam/i4 Jjazzzalw aw WM My Jan. 19, 1937. DANIELS- 2,068,165

BOTTLE CAPPING MECHANISM I imrm U4 Jam 19 7- R. J. DANIELS 2,

BOTTLE CAPPING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 7, 1954 5 Shets-Sheet 4 ,4 [MW f/wztir Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to American Seal-Kan Corporation,

Long

Island City, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 7, 1934, Serial No. 756,444

19 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for applying caps to bottles, and more particularly to apply caps of the cover-all type such as are shown in the Baum Patent No. 1,668,349 granted May 1, 1928, to Milk bottles. The invention is particularly concerned with the feeding of the caps from a supply into position to be applied to successively presented bottles to be capped, such that removal of the previously positioned cap from the capping head as by the removal of abottle to which the cap was applied, is necessary in order that a cap may be fed at each actuation of the mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby should a bottle be improperly presented to the capping mechanism, no damage either to the bottle or to the mechanism will result.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a capping mechanism particularly applicable to a milk bottle filling and capping machine of the type wherein the milk bottles are raised and lowered to operate the capping mechanism.

Figures 2, 3, and 4 are sections on the correspondingly numbered section lines of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section along the line 55 of Figure 3 and showing the parts in cap-applying positions.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Figure 5, but showing the bottle retracted after being capped and just prior to the feeding of a cap.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the bottle retracted and a cap fed into position for being applied to another bottle.

Figure 8 is a detail section to a larger scale on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the capping mechanism in contact with an improperly positioned bottle.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation with the parts in position for a capping operation and showing a modified construction.

Figure 11 is a detail section on line II--II of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary view partly in section showing the positions of certainof the parts when the capping mechanism is in contact with an improperly positioned bottle.

Referring first to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 9, at I is indicated a support which carries the capping mechanism. Th s me h nism has been designed more particularly for application to. bottle filling and capping machines of that type in which the bottles are raised and lowered to operate the capping mechanism, although it might be applied to those in which 5 the capping mechanism is raised or lowered. In either case, however, the bottles which have been filled are presented in succession on a table (not shown) beneath the mechanism in position to be capped by a relative up and down motion be- 10 tween the bottles and the mechanism.

As shown the support I is provided with a pair of spaced bearing members 2 within which is slidably mounted a rod 3 shown as having attached above the upper bearing 2, a collar 4 It which limits its downward motion. The lower end of the rod 3 has attached thereto a capping head 5 to which is attached a guide stem or bolt 6 slidable at its upper end through a bearing 1 projecting from a portion 8 which may be inw tegral with the lower bearing 2. A spring 9 may surround the lower portion of the rod 3 and. bear between the upper face 5a of the head and the lower face I0 of the portion 8, this spring aiding the weight of the capping head 25 and the parts carried thereby in holding this head and parts in their lowermost position with respect to the support I. The head 5 is shown as provided with a lateral extension I2 having an upstanding tubular portion I3 within which 30 may be inserted a tube I4 which may house a stack of caps such as I5. The tube I4 and the portion I3 constitute a cap holder, from the lower end of which the caps may be fed one by one into capping position in the head 5. As shown 35 best in Figure 4, the head 5 carries therein a pair of clamping fingers 20 and 2| shown as pivoted together at 22 and urged toward each other as by springs 23 reacting between rearward extensions 24 and 25 thereof. These fingers ex- 49 tend sufiiciently around the cap so that the cap may be passed therebetween whereupon they will be sprung toward each other and grip the cap.

The caps are fed from the holder to capping position within the head by means of a cap 45 feeder, which comprises a slide 28 mounted in guideways 29 beneath the portion I3, and having an arcuate beveled forward end as at 30, which may engage the side wall of the lowest cap in the holder, and by motion of this slide push this cap in between the fingers 20 and 2I. The lower walls of the ways 29 are shown in Figure 8 as formed by plates 32 secured to the lower face of the portion I2. This slide 28 is provided with a portion 35 depending between the plates 32 B6 as the arm 41, forms a part of a bell crank lever, the other arm 44 of which is V pivoted between a pair of jaws 45 at the lower end of a rod 45. This rod 45 extends slidably through a bracket l1 extending from the portion 8. The rod 45 may be threaded into the jaw member 65 and have a head 49 at its upper end slotted as' at 58 for the reception of a screwdriver. On this rod 46 and between the bracket 41 and the jaw member 45, is positioned a fairly heavy coil spring 55 and between the bracket 41 and the head 49 is positioned a lighter spring 58. Com pressing of the spring 55 tends to swing the arms 40 and AI in a direction to retract the feed slide 28 from the capping head so as to position the forward end of the feed slide back of the lowest cap-in the cap holder which drops in front of it v so that on subsequent advance of the slide 28 effected when the capping head is moved upwardly relatively to the support 1 by premure of a bottle to be capped thereagainst. When the head is in its lowered position of Figure 1, the weight of the head and the cap holder supplemented by the action of the spring 9 holds the slide 28 at the end of the feedstroke, the

pressure on the spring 55 being then relieved and the spring 56 then being effective to hold the rod 46 elevated.

When the feed slide has been retracted, however, means controlled by the presence of a cap in capping position in the capping head is provided for holding the slide so retracted. This means comprises a latch element 60 fulcrumed at El on a bracket 62 on the extension I 2, and having a latching extension 53 against which may engage a spring-pressed latch plug 64 slidable in a bushing 65 in the feed slide extension 35. This latch plug 64 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 86 about which is positioned a spring 61 which reacts between'the under face of the plug 84 and an internal shoulder 68 in the bushing 65. The latch 80 curves around one side of the tubular portion l3, and has a forward down-turned extremity III, which, when a cap is in position in the capping head, rests thereon, as shown, for example, in Figure 5, thus holding the portion 10 in its raised position and the latch end 83 in position to be a position, such as shown in Figure 6, with its latch portion 83 raised out of contact with the latch pin 64 so as to release the feed slide and 'reacts between the upper face of the plunger 15- and a closure plug 19 threaded into the upper end of the housing 16. This plug I9 may be provided with a central opening through which the reduced diameter portion 18- may extend and provided with outwardly extending tubular when the plunger I is in its raised position, as

shown in Figure l.

The movement of the feed slide to feed a cap into position in the capping head is caused to. return'the latch 60 to its latching position, and for this purpose it is shown as provided with a cam block 80 having a sloping rear face 8|, which is engaged by the forward face of the feed slide 28, as shown in Figure 6, as the feed slide moves forwardly, so as to raise the latch 50 into latching position where it is held by impingement of its end against the upper face of the cap fed by the slide into capping position in the head.

Suitable means may be provided in the capping head to apply the cap to the bottle when the head and the bottle have been brought into contact. As shown this means comprises an'applying plunger 85 having its upper end seated in a socket portion 88 in the enlarged diameter portion 81 at the lower end of the rod 3. As shown it is split to form a pair of resilient capengaging portions 88 which ride within a sleeve 89, the lower edge of which is formed to engage on the top of the bottle cap where it engages over the pouring lip 'of the bottle. The under face of the portion 81 also has a recess 83 which engages with the top of the cap near its margin. A spring 90. is shown as hearing between a shoulder portion 9| on the member 81 and the top face of the ring89. To further act in properly centering the bottle, which is shown at 95, a ring 98 having a flaring inner wall 99 may be carried somewhat below the cap-applying plunger 85 in position to receive the mouth of the bottle presented for capping and guide it into proper position. This ring 98 may be secured in position as by the bolts I00 and 6 which also secure the member 81 in position, and the top edge of this ring 98 may actas a limit stop to limit the tilting movement of the latch 60 in one direction, as shown in Figure 6.

Assuming that a cap is in position beneath the plunger and engaged by the fingers 20 and 2|, as shown in Figure 7, relative motion of the bottle and capping head toward each other from a position shown in Figure 7 tothat shown in Figure 5, acts to cause the cap to be applied to the top of the bottle, as shown in Figure 5, and through compression of the spring 55 to retract the feed slide 28 where it is latched by the latch member 60. The capping mechanism and the bottle now being separated, as shown in Figure 6, the bottle removing the cap therewith, the latch 60 is permitted to be moved to unlatching position by the spring plunger 15, whereupon the weight of the capping head and-the cap supply, aided by the spring 9, causes the head and supply to drop, thus releasing the pressure on the spring 55 and applying pressure to the spring 55 to move the cap feeding slide 28 intothe position shown in Figure 1, thus to feed another cap from the cap holder to capping position in the capping head between the'fingers 20 and 2|.

Should a bottle be improperly presented for capping, as, for example, as shown in Figure 9, the capping head may take an abnormally high position, the spring 9 being abnormally compressed and the guide post 6 extending upwardly to an abnormal extent from the position shown in Figure 5. The spring 55 will also be abnormally compressed as shown in this Figure 9, but since the feed slide is then in its extreme retracted position as determined by engagement of a stop I on the bell crank arm 40 against the jaw member 45, the feed slide remains in its normal retracted position. On subsequent retraction of the capping mechanism and the bottle, the capping head will return toward its normal downward position as shown in Figure 1, but the presence of the cap in the capping head, shown by dotted lines in Figure 9, which was not removed by the bottle which was improperly positioned to receive it, holds the latch 60 elevated and prevents the capping slide from feeding another cap and the capping head from dropping to its lowest position. On a subsequent normal operation of the capping mechanism, however, bywhich a cap is applied to a properly presented bottle and removed with the bottle after the operation is completed, the latch 50 is released, as shown in Figure 6, so that the feed slide is permitted a feeding motion. It will thus be seen that even though a bottle be improperly positioned, the parts may yield sumciently so that no breakage of the bottle or mechanism occurs, but that until the cap in the capping head has been removed, the feed mechanism is held in retracted position, so that a cap cannot be fed while one is in position in the capping head.

In Figures to 12, a modified construction of cap feeding mechanism is employed. Referring to these figures, the feed slide 28 is shown as connected through a pair of links I20 pivoted thereto to the lower ends of a pair of levers I2I. These levers are fulcrumed as at I22 to the upper ends of a pair of bracket arms I23 extending upwardly from the capping head 5. The upper ends of these levers I2I are brought into parallel relation with each other, as shown in Figure 11, and between them is journaled a cam follower roll I25. Beyond this cam follower roll these upper ends of the levers I2I are pivoted as at I25 on opposite sides of a head I2'I from which extends, downwardly inclined, a rod I28 slidably guided near its lower end through a bracket extension I29 from the members I23. A spring I30 surrounding the rod I28 reacts between this bracket member I29 and the head I2! and normally acts to rock the levers I2I to the position shown in Figure 10 with the feed slide 28 in feeding position. Above the cam roller I25 is positioned a cam block I35, which is secured between a pair of bracket plates I36 projecting from the plate I31, which takes the place of the member 8 in the construction previously described, and serves to slidably guide one or more guide rods I38 which are secured to the head 5 in place of the guide rod 6 of the previously described construction. When the head 5 approaches the support bracket 2, as when a cap is being applied to a bottle, the roll I25 passes up the inclined lower face I40 of the cam member I35, rocking the levers I2I in a direction to retract the feed slide 28. This face I40 of the cam slide is of sufficient length to cause the feed plate to be retracted sufliciently to insure the passing of the latch plug 64 back of the latch extremity 63, where it is held until the cap applied to the bottle is removed with the bottle and the capping head is allowed to drop to its normal inactive position.

Should the bottle be improperly presented, as shown in Figure 12, the cam roller 25 will be caused to pass beyond a shoulder I4I on the cam member I35 and up along the outer face thereof, as shown in this figure, this additional abnormal movement of the capping head toward the support bearing 2 being an idle movement without effect onthe capping slide. 0n subsequent separation of the bottle and capping head, the roller I25 rides down the outer face of the cam I35 and the shoulder I4I insures sufficient retraction of the feed slide so that it may be securely caught by the latch element 63 as soon as the roller I25 moves out of contact with the cam member I35, thus insuring the latching of the feed slide against feeding movement due to the presence of a cap in the capping head, which was not removed by the bottle because of its improper presentation to the capping mechanism on the prev ous approach of the bottle mouth and the capping mechanism.

On a subsequent proper presentation of a bottle, causing the cap previously presented to the capping head to be applied to the bottle mouth, and later removed from the capping head therewith, the latch 60 is released, whereupon the spring I30 is permitted to move the cap slide to feed another cap into capping position in the capping head.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various fur-' ther changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.-

I claim: 1. In combination with a. bottle capping mechanism comprising a capping head movable up and down relative to a bottle to be capped, a cap-holder, a feeder for feeding caps one by one from said holder to said head, of means actuated when said head and a bottle approach each other to cap a bottle to retract said feeder, and means controlled by the cap, on the subsequent separation of the bottle and head by the withdrawal of the cap from said head causing the bottle to which it has been applied, to eifect actuation of the feeder to feed another cap into position in said head.

2. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder movable with said head, a cap feeder movable laterally between said cap holder and head in position to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head, operative connections between said support, head and feeder causing motion throughout a normal range of said head upwardly relative to said support to be accompanied by retraction of said feeder and motion in the same range in the opposite direction to be accompanied by cap-feeding actuation of said feeder, and a latch held in latching position by a cap in said capping head for preventing feeding motion of said feeder.

3. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder movable with said head, a cap feeder movable laterally between said cap holder and head in position to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head, operative connections between said support, head and feeder causing motion throughout a normal range of said head upwardly relative to said support to be accompanied by retraction of said feeder and motion in the same range in the opposite direction to be accompanied by cap-feeding actuation of said feeder, and a latch held in latching position by a cap in said capping head for preventing feeding motion of said feeder, said operative connections allowing a relative movement between said head and support beyond said normal range without substantial movement of said feeder.

I means in position to be applied to a bottle top,

and means controlled by a cap held by said holding means acting to prevent feeding motion of said feeding means.

5. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder movable with said head, means for feeding caps one by one from said holder to said head, operative connections between said feeding means support and head for actuating said feeding means on relative motion between said head and support, means for holding a cap fed by said feeding means in position to be applied to a bottle top, and means controlled by a. cap held by said holding means acting to prevent feeding motion of said feeding means and a corresponding portion of the relative movement of said support and capping head.

. means in position to be applied to a bottle top,

and a latch having a portion resting on a cap held by'said holding means when said feeding means is retracted and holding said feeding means retracted and effective to release said feeding means on removal of said cap.

7. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder movable with said head, means for feeding caps one by one from said holder to said head, operative connections between said feeding means support and head for actuating said feeding means on relative motion between said head and support, means for holding a cap fed by said feeding means in position to be applied to a bottle top, a latch having a portion resting on a cap held by said holding means when said feeding means is retracted and holding said feeding means retracted and effective to release said feeding tion, and a latchheld in latching relation by a cap in capping position in said head for retaining said feeder in retracted position.

9. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder movable to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head. means actuated on upward movement of said head relative to said .supportto retract said feeder, a spring for moving said feeder in feeding direction, and a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position in said head for retaining said feeder in retracted position and said head elevated.

10. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder movable to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head, means actuated on upward movement of said -head relative to said support to retract said feeder, a spring for moving said feeder in feeding direction, a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position in said head for retaining said feeder in retracted position, and yielding means for releasing said latch on removal of a cap from capping position in said head,

11. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder movable to feed capsone by one from said holder to capping position in said head, means actuated on upward movement of said head relative to said support to retract said feeder, a spring for moving said feeder in feeding direction, a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position in said head for retaining said feeder in retracted position, and

. means actuated on cap feeding movement of said feeder for moving said latch into latching relation.

12. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder movable to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on said head, a link connecting one arm of said lever .to said feeder, an element pivoted to the opposite arm of said lever and operatively connected to said support to cause by upward motionv of said head relative to said support retraction of said feeder and by downward motion of said head relative to said support movement of said feeder -in cap-feeding direction, and a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position in said head for holding said feeder retracted.

13. A bottlecapping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder movable to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on said head, a link connecting one-arm of said lever to said feeder, an element pivoted to the opposite arm of said, lever and operatively connected to said support to cause by upward motion of said head relative to said support retraction of said feeder and bydownward motion of said head relative to said support movement of said feeder in capfeedingdirection, and a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position in said head for holding said feeder retracted, said op-' erative connections including a part yielding to permit abnormal upward movement with said head without eifect'on said feeder as when an improperly positioned bottle is presented to said mechanism.

14. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder movable with said head, a cap feeder movable laterally between said cap holder and head in position to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head, a lever for actuating said feeder, a spring acting on said lever in capfeeding direction, and a cam carried by said support and cooperating with said lever to retract said feeder on upward movement of said head relative to said support.

15. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder movable with said head, a cap feeder movable laterally between said cap holder and head in position to feed caps one by one from said holder to capping position in said head, a lever for actuating said feeder, a spring acting on said lever in cap-feeding direction, a cam carried by said support and cooperating with said lever to retract said feeder on upward movement of said head relative to said support, and a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position in said head for holding said feeder retracted.

16. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder for feeding caps successively from said holder into capping position in said head, an actuating lever fulcrumed on said head and connected to said feeder, a spring acting on said lever to move said lever in cap-feeding direction, and a cam carried by said. support and engaged by said lever on upward movement of said head relative to said support for moving said feeder in retracted direction.

1'7. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder for feeding caps successively from said holder into capping position in said head, an actuating lever fulcrumed on said head and connected to said feeder, a spring acting on said lever to move said lever in cap-feeding direction', and a cam carried by said support and engaged by said lever on upward movement of said head relative to said support for moving said feeder in retracted direction, said cam having a. face across which said lever may pass after said feeder has been retracted during an abnormal extent of motion of said head should said head engage a bottle improperly presented for capping.

18. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder for feeding caps successively from said holder into capping position in said head, an actuating lever fulcrumed on said head and connected to said feeder, a spring acting on said lever to move said lever in capfeeding direction, a cam carried by said support and. engaged by said lever on upward movement of said head relative to said support for moving said feeder in retracted direction. and a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position on said head holding said feeder in retracted position.

19. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a support, a capping head movable up and down relative to said support, a cap holder, a cap feeder for feeding caps successively from said holder into capping position in said head, an actuating lever fulcrumed on said head and connected to said feeder, a spring acting on said lever to move said lever in cap-feeding direction, a cam carried by said support and engaged by said lever on upward movement of said head relative to said support for moving said feeder in retracted direction, said cam having a face across which said lever may pass after said feeder has been retracted during an abnormal extent of motion of said head should said head engage a bottle improperly presented for capping, and a latch held in latching relation by a cap in capping position on said head holding said feeder in retracted position.

RANSOM J. DANIELS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,068,165. January 19, 1937".

BANSOM J. DANIELS.

- It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, second column. line 39, claim 1, for the word "by" read causing and line 40, same claim, for "causing" read by; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of March, A. D. 1937.

Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

